METRO VANCOUVER — A B.C. Supreme Court judge has accepted a joint Crown-defence agreement in the high-profile Bacon murder conspiracy that will see five men linked to the United Nations gang sentenced to between 11 and 14 years.

Justice Janice Dillon told the five would-be killers her decision Wednesday, but said her reasons for accepting the Crown-defence position would not be released until next Monday morning.

One by one Dillon asked each of the five, who pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to murder the Bacons and their Red Scorpion associates, if they wanted to address the court.

Yong Sung John Lee, who is facing an 11 year sentence, spoke first, declining Dillon's offer. Dilun Heng also said no. He will get a 12 -year term, as will Karwan Saed, who apologized for causing pain to his family and thanked the judge.

Barzan Tilli-Choli, who faces the longest sentence at 14 years, also thanked the court, but didn't apologize for the violence inflicted on the community by his gang in 2008 and 2009.

UN associate Ion Kroitoru, who will get 13 years in the deal, also declined to speak.

With more than eight years credit for pre-trial custody, the men will serve a maximum of between two years, eight months for Lee and five years, three months for Tilli-Choli.

Outside court, Kroitoru's lawyer John Turner said critical to striking the plea agreement was the Crown's decision to stay first-degree murder charges for the fatal shooting of stereo installer Jonathan Barber during the UN hunt for the Bacons.

The agreed statement of facts said UN members shot at the Porsche Cayenne driven by Barber because they believed Jamie Bacon was behind the wheel.

Turner said the long-running case would have gone to trial if the murder charge was still in play.

"That was a charge that Mr. Kroitoru - on the evidence that you know about - could never have pled guilty to. He never would have pled guilty to that and it would have gone on to the bitter end," Turner said.

He said the negotiations with Crown were difficult, but successful in the end.

"It is a very complex case with a lot of very complex issues. We had to go over a period of a month putting it together. Obviously everybody had their different concerns. The Crown had its concerns. Each individual lawyer had concerns for their individual client," Turner said. "They all had their part to play and finally after a lot of meetings we came to something we could all agree on and we signed off on it."

He said Kroitoru, a former wrestler and colourful bit actor with a lengthy criminal record, is looking forward to changing his life when he gets out of jail.

"He will be 55 when he gets out. He's disrupted his family life by his own volition - it was his decision to go into the sort of lifestyle he was involved in - and of course he has got these young children and now they don't have a father," Turner said. "He is planning when he gets out to try and go on the straight and narrow if I can use the vernacular and be the kind of father he hasn't been for a long time."

As for what he'll do, Turner said "He is a resourceful man and I am hoping he'll get into something and lead a proper life."

Outside court, Crown Ralph Keefer also thanked the defence lawyers for "being as cooperative as they were" in reaching a deal.

"I don't mean in terms of accepting something they shouldn't have accepted but just the terms and process. It wasn't easy in this case given the volume of evidence," he said.

And he thanked police for the work they have done and continue to work on the file.

Asked if he anticipated further charges related to the investigation into the UN gang, Keefer said: "I can tell you from what the police have said, they are continuing to investigate in a variety of directions, which is great."

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